Kids - Planning Summer Vacations

I am looking for ideas about where to take the kids for a summer vacation. Since I have had kids I always try to take a week during summer and do the 'family vacation' thing. Anyone else trying to plan a summer vacation yet? I find that you have to reserve early if it is a busy place or be shut out.

One idea was to do a three day canoe trip down the Missouri River past the White Cliffs on the Lewis and Clark trail. (any tips Otterpop?)

If you are a true planner, shouldn't you be dragging the family some place where a new LRT line or large new urbanist development has been completed? While you will take hundreds of photographs, only one or two will actually have family in them.

I plan on taking my 13 year old to DC this summer, perhaps in June. She's a huge history and museum buff and wants to go there and take the train to get there. Any thoughts on having a car free 4-5 day vacation in DC?

"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?"Jeremiah 22:16

i really like AZ/New Mexico four corners region. you can camp, hike, visit native american artifacts and pueblos. we flew into albuquerque, drove to santa fe and taos, then went to durango, and the four corners region. that was a good trip. we got to experience lots of different cultural, historical, and educational events. we even went to the outdoor opera in santa fe. good exposure for a kid.

i also like Canyon de Chelly in AZ and Monument Valley, UT. the painted desert is around there too.

it might be fun to do the outerbanks/chincoteague/assateague/roanoake area. you could go to the pony roundup!

there's always rhode island/cape cod/boston/new hampshire/maine.

i've never been but jackson hole/yosemite etc are possibilities.

then there are the florida keys. you could do a few days in miami and then drive down to the keys.

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.-Martin Luther King Jr.

i also like Canyon de Chelly in AZ and Monument Valley, UT. the painted desert is around there too.

I have always wanted to do Canyon de Chelly (I think we are spelling it wrong). The spirtual place for the Navahoe.... Can young kids do the hike in and out? Do you have to have a camping permit or is it just open? Tips?

Originally posted by dandy_warhol

then there are the florida keys. you could do a few days in miami and then drive down to the keys.

Ugh...if it is in Florida, we have been there several times, no Florida vacations.

Wisconsin Dells - It is a bit of a tourist trap, but it is the "Water Park Capital of the World". We plan on going up there this summer with our 2-year-old daughter for our first real family vacation, but probably stay at a low-tech lakeside resort instead of at one of the giant water park hotels. There is a lot of scenic nature up there, and things like para-sailing, boat rentals and horseback rides. And, you can always make the short jaunt over to Spring Green to visit Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin.

Chicago - Maybe you guys have already been here, but I think it is a wonderful family vacation spot, especially if you aren't from the midwest. You can go up in the Sears Tower, go to the awesome museums, shop the "Magnificent Mile", ride the L up to take in a Cub game at Wigley Field, head up north a short ways to Six Flags Great America, and head a short ways west to Brookfield Zoo. Relive scenes from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I love visiting Chicago.

Wisconsin Dells - It is a bit of a tourist trap, but it is the "Water Park Capital of the World". We plan on going up there this summer with our 2-year-old daughter for our first real family vacation, but probably stay at a low-tech lakeside resort instead of at one of the giant water park hotels. There is a lot of scenic nature up there, and things like para-sailing, boat rentals and horseback rides. And, you can always make the short jaunt over to Spring Green to visit Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin.

This is one of my favorite areas to go on vacation. We usually stop at the Brat Stop by Kenosha for lunch as we cross the state line, we also like to stop in Black Earth and buy shoes, make our way up to New Glarus and check out the brewery. We usually seem (quite by accident) to have our visits coincide with 'Heidi-fest' and like to camp at the nearby state park. Baraboo is always fun (water park), naturally the the Dells and Taliesin, and lets not forget the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum!!! . Kitsch aplenty? Sure, but that's not always a bad thing, as it reminds me of simpler times in my life.

People will miss that it once meant something to be Southern or Midwestern. It doesn't mean much now, except for the climate. The question, “Where are you from?” doesn't lead to anything odd or interesting. They live somewhere near a Gap store, and what else do you need to know? - Garrison Keillor

I have always wanted to do Canyon de Chelly (I think we are spelling it wrong). The spirtual place for the Navahoe.... Can young kids do the hike in and out? Do you have to have a camping permit or is it just open? Tips?

Canyon de Chelly pronounced Canyon de Shay. another website has a lot of useful information about camping and hiking: These ruins date from about 1200 and are some of the oldest in the canyon. The trailhead is seven miles along the south rim drive; the one mile trail is rocky and steep in places but well-maintained and not too difficult - it takes between 25 and 50 minutes to get down, depending on your fitness. There are a couple of short tunnels, plenty of cacti and lizards, and the track passes a farm and an orchard before crossing the stream to the ruins.

you can camp close to Monument Valley. we camped right outside the park and froze to death while visiting in March.

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.-Martin Luther King Jr.

I was planning to make a road trip to Altoona, PA this summer with the boys in tow....but not sure that is still the plan...am going to take them obn a road trip, just not exactly sure where...would like to go to Pheonix and see my bro buts its just too long of a drive....maybe Colorado, maybe just a short trip to Chi-Town.....

Ugh...if it is in Florida, we have been there several times, no Florida vacations.

Well, I'll ignore THAT line. You've probably only been to the tourist places or maybe FL in summer which can be a bitch unless you're into water-based activities... Snorkelling in the Keys.... scalloping on the gulf coast (you want a relaxing vacation, that's it!). Go where the natives go!

On a general note.... my son is 13 and I've found I have to balance the vacation. Some active stuff: bike riding, beach, mini-golf, etc. With historic stuff. He actually has really enjoyed historic places. I think the National Park Service does a great job of presenting on the kid's level. He was dreading going to FDR's Little White House in GA but the rangers on site made it a great experience for him. Our favorite places are St Augustine FL and the Golden Isles off Brunswick GA. (OK, I don't like to drive too far...). Between Jekyll and St Simons Island, you have one pretty much unspoiled island with great beaches and bike paths, a cool historic area, a funky little seaside beach town, etc. And we loved this place:

Well, I'll ignore THAT line. You've probably only been to the tourist places or maybe FL in summer which can be a bitch unless you're into water-based activities... Snorkelling in the Keys.... scalloping on the gulf coast (you want a relaxing vacation, that's it!). Go where the natives go!

I am a Florida native.... that is why I want to vacation elsewhere. We been just about everywhere in Florida at least once. Florida wilds are the best. Boating can not be beat in Florida. But when you are on the Gulf every weekend during the spring and summer, you want to vacation somewhere else. And I agree, there are so many more places to go in Florida (Keys, Sanibel, St. Aug., St. George Is., The Everglades, the Atlantic, the Gulf, Lake Ocechobee, The St. Johns River...) That I will probably never set foot in Mickeys world again. I love Florida! But I want to vacation somewhere else.

Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Flying Monkeys.....May I suggest a week in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan? Put Marquette (in the center of the peninsula, on the shores of beautiful Lake Sueprior) as your central locale.....and fan in different directions for different sights.

North of town you can hike up to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain and photosnap a great view of Lake Superior and Marquette. You will be out of breath when you reach the top.....unless you are a distance runner.

Continue on the county road northward and check out the tavern in Big Bay where they filmed parts of the classic movie "Anatomy of a Murder", with James Stewart, George C. Scott, and Lee Remick.

Explore the truck trails of the Huron Mountains, see if you can find Mount Arvon, the highest spot in Michigan.

West of town you can look for moose in the wilderness areas north of Lake Michigamme or drive up to the famous Keweenaw Peninsula. Check out the interesting hillside twin cities of Houghton and Hancock. Houghton is an active place......lots of really smart college kids and a bit of a hipster attitude to the interesting downtown.

Cross the lift bridge and explore Calumet's mining history, including the site of the "Italian Hall Tragedy".....about 70 children died in a stampede to the bottom of a stairwell because somebody yelled "Fire!". Continue up the Keweenaw and explore the little Lake Superior villages of Eagle River and Eagle Harbor. The road along the lake between Eagle Harbor and Copper Harbor will remind you of Maine.

Heck, you can even have a drink or two at the bar in (real name) Gay, MI. Of course the bar's name is "The Gay Bar". Snap your pic there! I snapped mine!
NTTAWWT.

Farther west in the Upper Peninsula is one of the best prime wilderness areas in the eastern U.S., the Porcupine Mountains. Many of the YooPee's 100 waterfalls are in this area. Beautiful and challenging hikes to reach many of them.

South of Marquette you can check out Escanaba (home of a certain Cyburbian perstanality) and wander east to check out ghost towns (Nahma), mill towns (Manistique), and fishing towns (Naubinway). The kids will love jumping in Lake Michigan......miles and miles of beautiful sand beach hug the U.S. 2 corridor from Naubinway to St. Ignace.

East of Marquette check out the best damx beach on Lake Superior, at the mouth of the Au Train River. The kids would love that, too. What the hey, adults love it!
A little further east is Munising, with a wonderful harbor setting. Grab a trip on the boats that take visitors to The Pictured Rocks. If you go by vehicle to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore you can check out some great Lake Superior beaches. Watch out, though.....on certain days (little wind, warm and sunny, maybe a front about to come through) the flies will attack and bite you.

Even further east you can check out the "most endangered" lighthouse in the states, at Crisp Point. Watch out for real live bears AND keep your eyes peeled for a certain Bear who tends to wander the beach NEAR here, sans clothing.

Whitefish Point is interesting, especially if you are a bit of a Great Lakes' lore freak.....the Edmund Fitzgerald went down just northeast of here. Good burgers and drinks at the little log cabin in Paradise called The Yukon Inn.

The Soo Locks are fun (and educational) in Sault Ste. Marie. You say you are a planner and wanna see "old" architecture? The Soo is for you. (Check out the web site for Lake Superior State University, located in the Soo. Check out "The Unicorn Hunters". Shameless plug at normal font.)

& finally.....your centrally-located home base, Marquette. A grand downtown, with interesting shops, a hip culture, and very steep hills. Chicago's lake shore trail is wonderful.....and Marquette's is also superb. Bring your bikes or find a place to rent them. Check out Presque Isle Park.....have the kids look for the albino deer, check out the windsurfers and regular surfers if the water is rough.

If you are in to mining history.....Ishpeming and Negaunee (suburbs) are filled with mining history. This was also the birthplace of snow sking in North America, so there is a museum.

While you are in the YooPee, try these culinary treats.....Cudighis (a pork and beef burger, common to the Negaunee area.....pastys (meat and vegetable filled baked pie-like goodie, made famous by Cornish miners who moved to the area)....."Yoopers" (cookies that have peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chips, and M & M's).

Have fun.

Bear @ Stump's On U.S. 41, Three Lakes

GATOR EDIT: This Bear has been to Florida, tourist spots and non-tourist spots. I liked what I experienced. I just need four seasons of weather and FLA does not provide this ole' furry creature with that experience.

My wife tends to pick amusement park/water park vacations for the kids. I tend to go with national parks, historic venues. Everyone (except me) is always more excited at the start of the theme park vacations, but always say the adventure vacations were better when they are done.

I can confirm UP and Bar Harbor as good vacations, Bar Harbor has got to be even better than when I was there since lp is there now. One year we took the Amtrak to the Grand Canyon. Some complain about the train ride, but I really enjoyed it. I tend to get stressed on driving vacations with the family as I never feel like the vacation starts till I get to my destination.

Well heck we could have avoided the face if I knew that! (Sorry, there are a bunch of non-informed FL bashers on here...)

I love Florida, but then the only truly touristy place I've been is Universal Studios which was fun anyways. Love the northern half of the state, laid back, warm!, nice beaches, but then I'm not into "power vacationing" either. I don't want to have to take a vacation because I am tired from my vacation.

"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?"Jeremiah 22:16

I plan on taking my 13 year old to DC this summer, perhaps in June. She's a huge history and museum buff and wants to go there and take the train to get there. Any thoughts on having a car free 4-5 day vacation in DC?

DC is one of the easiest places to have a car-free vacation. If you take the train, there's a Metro stop in Union Station. There's several Mtero stops on the mall and on Capitol Hill, one at the Zoo (near it anyway) and one at Arlington Cemetery. There's many hotels near many Metro stops, in DC and in the suburbs (e.g. Crystal City and Pentagon City in VA.). Dupont Circle is a good place for hotels in DC. Every time I go to DC I go car-free. It's much easier and cheaper than paying in-town parking fees.

When I was a kid I loved camping and hiking in the different trails that the national parks had to offer. I don't see what's the deal with amusement parks and crowded beaches...not for my taste at least.